The Pour Some Sugar On Me…. Body Scrub

    

Brown sugar, honey, olive  oil…yumm. It sounds like the beginning of something delicious and it is. Good enough to eat.

However, resist the temptation, as it happens to be the ingrediants of a really great body scrub. You can whip this together in just a few minutes from the stuff already in your cabinets.

Honey and sugar have been used for hundreds of years to heal  and nurish the skin. While olive oil has been used for almost 8,000 years in the Middle East; it is reknown for it’s health benefits and it has Omega-3’s.

Recipe:

1/2 cup. cane sugar

2 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. olive oil

Combine in a bowl and Voila!

After your shower,  before you dry off, apply the scrub all over your body, avoiding delicate and broken skin areas. Let the scrub rest on your body for a couple minutes to absorb nutrients. Rinse away the remaining paste and gently pat dry with your favorite bath towel. Enjoy your newly sweet silky smooth skin for the rest of the day or a peaceful night sleep.

P.S.  While you’re applying the body scrub you may feel compelled to sing Def Leppard’ s Pour Some Sugar On Me.   You know the lyrics. 

 

xoxoxo

 

Summer Cocktails……Pomegranate & Lemon

 

Summer heat calls for something chilled and sweet.

That’s exactly what these two cocktails are all about. They’re beautiful, refreshing, and yummy.

Being super easy to make is just a bonus!

 

VodkaPom

1 oz.  pomegranate juice – chilled

1/2 oz. Vodka – chilled

1/2 oz. simple syrup – chilled ( see mojito recipe to make the simple syrup ):)

3 oz. club soda – chilled

lemon

Run a wedge of the lemon around the rim of a chilled martini glass – you could then dip the rim in sugar, if you like – then add the pomegranate juice, vodka, simple syrup, and club soda. Garnish with lemon zest.  Voila!

 

 

Lemon Drop Fizzy

1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice – about half a lemon

1/2 oz. vodka – chilled

1/2 oz.simple syrup – chilled ( see mojito recipe to make the simple syrup ):)

4 oz. club soda – chilled

Run a wedge of the lemon around the rim of a chilled martini glass – you could then dip the rim in sugar, if you like . Next add your freshly squeezed lemon juice, vodka, simple syrup, and club soda. Garnish with  lemon zest .

As you can see they are very similar and easy to make.

The VodkaPom is like a pomegranate martini with club soda. I like the fizz of the club soda. 

Notes: Be sure to chill your ingrediants and keep everyting nice and cold and…

As Always Please Enjoy Responsibly!

 

xoxoxo

Roasted Plantains with Cheese and Guava

 

 

This past winter my friend from Columbia made a great tradional dish for me with plantains, guava, and cheese. In Columbia it is made with queso blanco, a fresh white cheese. It was really good and unusual. Since then I have made my own twist to the original recipe for all of those of  us who don’t have access to a local dairy.

My rendition uses cream cheese with finely chopped jalapeno for an extra layer of flavor. The result is a sweet, smooth, and creamy bite sized morsels that are really filling. Great for a side dish, appetizer, or a snack. All the ingrediants are easy to find and inexpensive so you can serve something unique and stretch your entertaining budget .

Fast, easy, and delicious!

 

Recipe:

4 plantains, peeled

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. jalapeno, finely chopped

3 oz. guava paste, chopped

Peel the plantains and cut  a deep channel length wise along the plantain.

In a bowl combine the cream cheese with the finely chopped fresh jalapeno ( you can add the jalapeno seeds if you would like to increase the spicey heat). Blend well.

Finely chop the guava paste.

Place the guava paste and the cream cheese mixture side by side into the channel that you cut into the plantain along its entire length.

Wrap the stuffed pantains individually in parchment paper.

Bake the four wrapped plantains in a preheated oven at 300 degress for 30 minutes. When it is finished carefully remove the plantains from the oven. Let rest for 2-3 minutes. Unwrap the plantains from the paper, cut into one inch pieces, and serve.

Enjoy!

 

xoxoxo

Creamy Key Lime Pie

 

    

                  Key Lime pie is like big slice of summer.  Sweet, cool, and tangy. It is such a nice dessert to serve on a warm night.

I have found most recipes to have a bit too much sweet and sour play so that by the end of  your portion you have a complete sensory overload. So, here is my recipe. Creamy and smooth  and mellow enough for those of us who like  to have seconds!

 As always, I have kept it easy as pie. 

 

Crust:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp. sugar

8 tbsp. butter, melted

In a 9 inch pie plate, or even a deep tart pan, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Blend together with a fork and then press all along the bottom and sides of the dish creating an even crust. Put aside into your refrigerator while you combine the next ingredients.

 

Filling:

1/2 cup key lime juice

7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

6 oz. vanilla yogurt

4 egg yolks                                -                               ( NO egg whites )

Combine the lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla yogurt, and egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Mix until completely blended. Next pour this filling into your previously prepared crust. Cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

 

Chantilly Cream:

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. granulated sugar

Combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar into a bowl and use an electric whisk to blend until you have reached soft peaks. ( Be careful here and try not to over whip because this will make your cream turn into butter; not as good as cream on top your pie. )  Add a generous dollop of your freshly made Chantilly cream to each slice of key lime pie and enjoy!

 

xoxoxo

 

Simple and Savory Hummus

 

I first had red pepper hummus at a restaurant  in New York City called Chickpea right along a busy sidewalk in the summer. It was sooo good. If you don’t live in NYC and get a chance to visit definetly be sure to check this place out.

Well, I wanted to recreate this at home because it was really good and my mother loves sweet red peppers. Iwent home and set to work , threw everything I thought might be in it into a bowl and Voila. It came out great.  So, I’ve been making this for about two years with out a specific recipe, but tonight I measured everything out so I could share this with you. It is savory, creamy, and a little addictive. My uncle ate almost a whole bowl of it by himself at a dinner party once.

You can serve it at a party or keep some in the refrigerator for a snack. It is a very popular dip in Lebabnon, the Middle East, and soon to be your dinner table.

Recipe:

1 15oz. can of cooked chick peas / Garbonzo beans

1 large sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled , and remove the seeds

3 large garlic cloves, roasted and peeled

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Combine chickpeas, roasted red pepper, garlic cloves,vegetable oil, and olive oil into a food processor, you could use a blending stick, and blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Next add the black pepper,salt, and cumin. Blend again until fully combined.

Done.

Wasn’t that fast?

You can serve it with celery sticks, toasted pita bread, crackers, or make a sandwhich with hummus and roasted chicken. It’s really delicious and versatile.

What’s your favorite way to have hummus?

Morocco – A Link

Here at iLusciousLife we’re on the search for everything luscious, of course, to enrich and sensualize your life. I think savory and exotic certainly fall under that category. So , when I came across a posting for a Moroccan restaurant I decided to explore. It was really nicely done and very interesting.

Here is the link. Nice descriptions,juicy and compelling pictures. I think you will enjoy it.

http://moroccotravelblog.com/2009/03/30/a-vegetarian-moroccan-meal-travel-to-morocco-at-amanouz-cafe/

Also, provided on this page was another link to to a Moroccan travel site that has a really interesting recipe for Moroccan pastries that I will be trying out soon. Delicious. Let me know if you make them ,too and we’ll compare notes. Plus they have gorgeous photos of Morocco that will inspire dreams, fantasies or a plane ticket, your choice.

http://www.travel-exploration.com/subpage.cfm/Deserts_Pastries

Guacamole – The Quick and The Easy

Guacamole is one of my favorite dips to make for a party. It is so easy to prepare and everyone likes it, too. Those are, of course, the winning factors for any entertaining. If you have ever spent five hours in the kitchen preparing and cooking for your guests you know what I mean. So, it’s nice to have some recipes that don’t require a diploma from the French Culinary Institute and that will still bring those smiles and empty plates.

Also, for all the health conscience out there, avocados are extremely nutritious and very good for your brain synapses. Actually making it easier for your brain functions and thoughts to be processed faster. You can’t beat that.

Here I have prepared two recipes they are very similar but the prep time gets even shorter for ease.

The Easy

2 cups avocado, mashed

2/3 cup of your favorite salsa

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt – I prefer Kosher salt

1/2 lime or lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Peal the avocado and remove the pit. Place the fruit of the avocado in a bowl and mash. I usually just use a fork, it works really well. As long as your avocado is ripe it will mash very easily. Next add the salsa, cumin,salt and lime / lemon. Mix well. Place in your serving dish.

I think that it actually tastes even better if you give it about ten or fifteen minutes to let the flavors meld together. However, it is still perfectly delicious to eat right away. Serve with tortilla chips or use as a a lovely accompaniment with grilled chicken.

The Quick

2 cups avocado , mashed

2/3 cup tomato, chopped

1/2 tsp. jalapeño, finely chopped – You can add more if you like more spicy heat

2 tbsp. onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 lime or lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Peal the avocado and remove the pit. Place the fruit of the avocado in a bowl and mash. I usually just use a fork, it works really well. As long as your avocado is ripe it will mash very easily. Next add the chopped tomato, jalapeño, onion, cumin, salt, and lime or lemon juice. Mix well. ( Again, you can let it set for a few minutes if you like.) Serve.

xoxoxo

The Perfect Mojito

Ah , the mojito. The summer drink of choice from the beaches of Cuba. It is a really lovely drink and a great way to start any party. Fresh, citrusy, and sweet it will cool you down in the sun or warm you up when you’ve got the winter blues.

The mojito is very simple to make. As I have found when it comes to recipes with few ingredients it is really , really important to uses quality products and great technique. That is the difference between something that is so – so and something that is so wonderful that you keep coming back for more. The trick here with the mojito is organic limes. You can totally taste the difference. The limed tang permeates the entire drink in a zesty way instead of falling flat in your glass.

I really enjoy this and have been measuring away in my kitchen to get  just the right ratios. Traditionally the mojito is served in a highball glass , a tall cylindrical glass, however I like to serve it in my Riedel  ‘O’  glasses. I have pictured both above and really either way is fine.

So, in the name of Southern hospitality, were you to come on over to my house for a dinner party or just dropping in to chat in the summer odds are good that this would be what I would serve you and now you can serve it to your guest ,too.

RECIPE:

8 large mint leaves, throughly washed

1/2 organic lime, freshly squeezed juice

1 1/2 oz. simple syrup (see below)

1 1/2 oz. light rum

7 oz. cold club soda

Ice to top off

In a chilled highball glass crushed the mint leaves with a muddler (wooden pestle), then add the freshly squeezed lime juice.* Note – be sure to roll the limes on your counter top surface firmly and at room temperature, because this will help to break down the pulp of the lime and maximize the amount of juice that you receive from each lime. Crush again with the muddler. Next add the simple syrup, chilled light rum, and chilled club soda. Top off the mojito with ice and a straw.  A sprig of mint leases or a lime wedge would be nice for a garnish. Serve to your adoring fans right away!

SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup boiling water

Combine the sugar and very hot water in a glass or jar – be care full. Make sure that the sugar is dissolved and then it is ready. Any amount can be made as long as you retain the 1 to 1 ratio. Also feel free to make extra and store it in a tightly sealed container in your refrigerator for future ease.

Please, be sure to enjoy responsibly and to make wise choices.

xoxoxo